Sunday, December 12, 2010
Oxford Prospect
is a current affairs, lifestyle, geopolitical,
policy and business news magazine
based in Oxford.
Part of this site is restricted to subscribers.
Inside our December edition
Coverage of the:
Theatre Reviews
Rapunzel, or, The Magic Pig,
A Street Car Named Desire
Business
Another resources boom for Australia
A look at Santos
Investing in Indonesia Special
Indonesia switches to gas and coal
Indonesia Property Bubble
Transport chaos
Oil and Gas Briefing
Does Indonesia have an energy policy?
Rabbits admist tigers in the jungle
Energy Book Reviews
Cubas Energy Future:
Non Gazprom Gas Producers in Russia
Culture
Affordable Art Fair Brussels
Travel
The Ghan
24 Hours in Jakarta
Christmas in Bali
Technology
Olympus LS-5 digital Voice Recorder
Building the better bee.
Inside the world's longest tunnel.
http://www.oxfordprospect.co.uk/
is a current affairs, lifestyle, geopolitical,
policy and business news magazine
based in Oxford.
Part of this site is restricted to subscribers.
Inside our December edition
Coverage of the:
Theatre Reviews
Rapunzel, or, The Magic Pig,
A Street Car Named Desire
Business
Another resources boom for Australia
A look at Santos
Investing in Indonesia Special
Indonesia switches to gas and coal
Indonesia Property Bubble
Transport chaos
Oil and Gas Briefing
Does Indonesia have an energy policy?
Rabbits admist tigers in the jungle
Energy Book Reviews
Cubas Energy Future:
Non Gazprom Gas Producers in Russia
Culture
Affordable Art Fair Brussels
Travel
The Ghan
24 Hours in Jakarta
Christmas in Bali
Technology
Olympus LS-5 digital Voice Recorder
Building the better bee.
Inside the world's longest tunnel.
http://www.oxfordprospect.co.uk/
Friday, February 20, 2004
HEADINGTON FORUM'S HEADINGTON JOURNAL
New Oxford Website launched Try www.Oxfordprospect.co.uk
The web magazine for the intellectually curious general reader who appreciates finely written essays across the spectrum of political, intellectual and cultural debate, providing the facts, conjecture and comment so often missing from today's media.
TRAFFIC CONGESTION TROUBLES
There are increasing complaints about traffic congestion, the trouble is Headington Business District is very good at providing the goods and services for Headington's major health and education industries.
Since Headington is such a good location, it is such a pity our local authorities have not been proactive enough in actually preparing for the long announced growth of our local industries that have generated Headington's problems. Instead they have been quick to make plan after plan followed by endless studies, but actually implementing things has been another matter. As illustrated by the sagas of Green Road Roundabout and the joke that is HAMATS.
Here are a few suggestions which would cut traffic down in Headington in Oxford.
1. Short term solutions:
a) introduce congestion charging
b) place traffic lights at all major junctions including Green Road roundabout
c) improve local bus services
d) increase car parking charges at public car parks
e) introduce car parking charges at all private places of employment car parking facilities
f) ignore the Nimby protests of Oseler Road residents over creating a new direct bus route to link the JR with Headington Shops
g) introduce price discrimination scheme at public car parks e.g. higher in the morning.
2. longer term solutions
a) build a direct road link between the JR Hospital and the by-pass
b) build a road link to give the western end of Barton to the Marston interchange on the bypass
c) relocate Oxford Brookes University to Wheatley
d) Build a tram/light rail network to link Headington with the rest of Oxford and the County as proposed under GTE
Chances of such proposals being implemented, run from likely for traffic lights at Green Road roundabout to extremely unlikely with building a tram network in Oxford.
Please tell us what you think
Public Transit
New bus services launched in Headington
Eleven years of round-the-clock bus services in Oxford will be marked by yet more improvements to the Stagecoach late night bus network including those on the London Road and Old Road/Wood Farm Bus routes in Headington
London Rd Bus Improvements
From the 15th February Oxford Stagecoach, has announced new bus service improvements to London Road bus service in Headington. As part of these changes route 7A will be numbered 7 and will run every 7 to 8 minutes throughout the day, Monday to Saturday. In addition the N7 bus route will be renumbered N17. It will leave from Queen Street every half hour after midnight, whilst, the NU1, will every quarter of an hour, from Carfax to HeadingtonâÂÂs Green Road Roundabout, on Friday and Saturday nights. John Hedges, a London Road resident asks âÂÂwhy canâÂÂt Stagecoach run a similar service throughout the day and what about a bus to OxfordâÂÂs multiplex cinema from HeadingtonâÂÂ?
Wood Farm Bus Update
From 20th February, Stagecoach will run buses between the city centre & Wood Farm every 30 minutes between midnight and 3am on Friday and Saturday nights.
The âÂÂN15â will depart from the city centre and run via Morrell Avenue, New Headington and Girdlestone Road on route to Wood Farm.
Following the successful experimentation on StagecoachâÂÂs current night buses to speed up boarding times and get people home as quickly as possible, the N15 will also have a simple flat fare system. Single journeys as far as Morrell Avenue will cost ã1, whilst travel onto Girdlestone Road and Wood Farm will cost ã2.
To enable people to escort their friends home - or just travel about - the ã2 ticket will allow unlimited travel on the N15 and anywhere on the night bus network in the city until 3.30am on the day of issue, which will actually offer a saving over the equivalent daytime fare.
All travel passes will be valid for travel on the N15 to reward those people that travel regularly with Stagecoach.
Said Adam Rideout, Marketing Manager for Stagecoach in Oxfordshire: "We have spent several months looking at ways to improve the night bus package, researching which areas of Oxford would benefit most from late night services.
"Having analyzed our findings, we decided to launch the N15 and if the service proves popular then more late night buses could be introduced in the future".
Stagecoach will distributed thousands of flyers to residents in Wood Farm and to late night travelers over the coming weeks.
Local Politics
Things are getting better for the Greater Headington Labour Party!
âÂÂPublicity is the fuel and life blood of politicsâÂÂ, argues Nicholas Newman, Chair Greater Headington Labour Party (GHLP). At so many social and community events the local Labour Party has been lacking in the promotion of its cause and presence. So many other organisations have been proudly disclaiming there presence and purpose with their large public banners and notices, with the GHLP failing to advertise and even indicate its very existence.
Things have now changed for the better. In the future a large (one metre by two) red banner will promote the GHLP and remind the voter of our existence and help the Party prepare for the forthcoming local and European elections. âÂÂThings are getting better for the Greater Headington Labour Party.âÂÂ
County Labour Party launch newsletter
County Party Leader Liz Brighouse together with John Tanner launch party newsletter. It gives news about its work in the County Council on such matters as education, rural buses and becoming a councilor. To find out more click here http://www.oxfordprospect.co.uk/new_page_61.htm
Council Tax Complaints
Local Council Tax is due to go up by at least 4% to pay for services such as Police, fire, Planning, culture, environment etc. The trouble is the present system is in need of reform if we are going to stop the present situation of the poor and the middle classes subsidizing the areas rich such as Prince Charles, Richard Branson, Douglas Hurd, Duke of Marlborough and Oxford Colleges. We need at least 2 more upper tax bands, it would also help if second home owners paid the full council tax, rather than at present the 50% discount they get at present, add to that the rich col. All these measures could cut council tax increases.
Business News
New stores opened by Co-op and Sainsbury's in Headington in December 2003 New Law Centre Opens.
New venture launched by local entrepreneurs, Headington welcomed its first independent local estate agent Charles Lawson
Consumer News
Credit Union reaches Headington
The OCVA, is developing a city wide credit union for the benefit of everyone living and/or working in Oxford. As you might know, the only Oxford community that can currently benefit from credit union services is Blackbird Leys. We are working closely together with the Blackbird Leys Credit Union Ltd and aim to have established a city wide credit union by 2005. A credit union is a financial co-operative: it is owned and run by its members. Members save with the credit union: from the savings, the credit union forms a pool of money from which it can give out affordable loans to members. The legal maximum interest rate for a credit union loan is 1% on a declining monthly balance! At the end of each year the credit union returns all its profits to its saving members in the form of dividend. For further OCVA details
LOCAL RETAILERS?
It appears you can't have it both ways, but some are trying, after years of moaning that Headington is not getting the investment it richly deserves. Retailers and shoppers are suffering from a touch of development blues. Headington's businesses district is experiencing some the highest levels of investment in recent memory, with the construction of new shops, offices and flats. National retailers including the Co-op, Sainsbury's and Peacocks have opened stores recently.
The trouble is trading in a building site tends to be not very good for business, retailers close to the MC Weasel development site next to Blockbusters claim the ongoing building work is harming trade and making it difficult to use a nearby lay by for deliveries. Fergus Doyle, of West of Java, said "They've picked an awful time to do it. It's not helping parking in Headington at the busiest time of year. "They have blocked off the lay by so no one can load or unload. There's lots of mess and disturbance." Matthew Elliott, of The Garden florists, said. Traders and residents fear that that the new residents of the development of a modern shop, commercial office space and four flats will make use of scarce parking space. John Townsend a local resident said "At last something is being done about that eyesore, " Douglas Riach, the agent for developer MC Weasel, said: "We're making much better use of the site. There will always be times when construction causes disruption, but we're keeping it to a minimum."
Notices
New Amateur Dramatic
Group formed in Headington
To present Musicals,
Plays and Entertainment Evenings. If you would like to join contact Julie Francis either by email
telephone on: 07749 942646
Oxford Theatre Club
Welcomes new members, every three months the Club visits theatres in the region including those in Bath, Birmingham, Windsor, Stratford, London, Guildford, Salisbury, Chichester and locally at Sonning and Bagnor.
Coach travel is arranged to venues with three pick up points, two at Oxford Park and Ride and one in Central Oxford.
We usually organize visits to Saturday matinees, but also to midweek matinee and evening performances
Ring Oxford 460383
New Oxford Website launched Try www.Oxfordprospect.co.uk
The web magazine for the intellectually curious general reader who appreciates finely written essays across the spectrum of political, intellectual and cultural debate, providing the facts, conjecture and comment so often missing from today's media.
TRAFFIC CONGESTION TROUBLES
There are increasing complaints about traffic congestion, the trouble is Headington Business District is very good at providing the goods and services for Headington's major health and education industries.
Since Headington is such a good location, it is such a pity our local authorities have not been proactive enough in actually preparing for the long announced growth of our local industries that have generated Headington's problems. Instead they have been quick to make plan after plan followed by endless studies, but actually implementing things has been another matter. As illustrated by the sagas of Green Road Roundabout and the joke that is HAMATS.
Here are a few suggestions which would cut traffic down in Headington in Oxford.
1. Short term solutions:
a) introduce congestion charging
b) place traffic lights at all major junctions including Green Road roundabout
c) improve local bus services
d) increase car parking charges at public car parks
e) introduce car parking charges at all private places of employment car parking facilities
f) ignore the Nimby protests of Oseler Road residents over creating a new direct bus route to link the JR with Headington Shops
g) introduce price discrimination scheme at public car parks e.g. higher in the morning.
2. longer term solutions
a) build a direct road link between the JR Hospital and the by-pass
b) build a road link to give the western end of Barton to the Marston interchange on the bypass
c) relocate Oxford Brookes University to Wheatley
d) Build a tram/light rail network to link Headington with the rest of Oxford and the County as proposed under GTE
Chances of such proposals being implemented, run from likely for traffic lights at Green Road roundabout to extremely unlikely with building a tram network in Oxford.
Please tell us what you think
Public Transit
New bus services launched in Headington
Eleven years of round-the-clock bus services in Oxford will be marked by yet more improvements to the Stagecoach late night bus network including those on the London Road and Old Road/Wood Farm Bus routes in Headington
London Rd Bus Improvements
From the 15th February Oxford Stagecoach, has announced new bus service improvements to London Road bus service in Headington. As part of these changes route 7A will be numbered 7 and will run every 7 to 8 minutes throughout the day, Monday to Saturday. In addition the N7 bus route will be renumbered N17. It will leave from Queen Street every half hour after midnight, whilst, the NU1, will every quarter of an hour, from Carfax to HeadingtonâÂÂs Green Road Roundabout, on Friday and Saturday nights. John Hedges, a London Road resident asks âÂÂwhy canâÂÂt Stagecoach run a similar service throughout the day and what about a bus to OxfordâÂÂs multiplex cinema from HeadingtonâÂÂ?
Wood Farm Bus Update
From 20th February, Stagecoach will run buses between the city centre & Wood Farm every 30 minutes between midnight and 3am on Friday and Saturday nights.
The âÂÂN15â will depart from the city centre and run via Morrell Avenue, New Headington and Girdlestone Road on route to Wood Farm.
Following the successful experimentation on StagecoachâÂÂs current night buses to speed up boarding times and get people home as quickly as possible, the N15 will also have a simple flat fare system. Single journeys as far as Morrell Avenue will cost ã1, whilst travel onto Girdlestone Road and Wood Farm will cost ã2.
To enable people to escort their friends home - or just travel about - the ã2 ticket will allow unlimited travel on the N15 and anywhere on the night bus network in the city until 3.30am on the day of issue, which will actually offer a saving over the equivalent daytime fare.
All travel passes will be valid for travel on the N15 to reward those people that travel regularly with Stagecoach.
Said Adam Rideout, Marketing Manager for Stagecoach in Oxfordshire: "We have spent several months looking at ways to improve the night bus package, researching which areas of Oxford would benefit most from late night services.
"Having analyzed our findings, we decided to launch the N15 and if the service proves popular then more late night buses could be introduced in the future".
Stagecoach will distributed thousands of flyers to residents in Wood Farm and to late night travelers over the coming weeks.
Local Politics
Things are getting better for the Greater Headington Labour Party!
âÂÂPublicity is the fuel and life blood of politicsâÂÂ, argues Nicholas Newman, Chair Greater Headington Labour Party (GHLP). At so many social and community events the local Labour Party has been lacking in the promotion of its cause and presence. So many other organisations have been proudly disclaiming there presence and purpose with their large public banners and notices, with the GHLP failing to advertise and even indicate its very existence.
Things have now changed for the better. In the future a large (one metre by two) red banner will promote the GHLP and remind the voter of our existence and help the Party prepare for the forthcoming local and European elections. âÂÂThings are getting better for the Greater Headington Labour Party.âÂÂ
County Labour Party launch newsletter
County Party Leader Liz Brighouse together with John Tanner launch party newsletter. It gives news about its work in the County Council on such matters as education, rural buses and becoming a councilor. To find out more click here http://www.oxfordprospect.co.uk/new_page_61.htm
Council Tax Complaints
Local Council Tax is due to go up by at least 4% to pay for services such as Police, fire, Planning, culture, environment etc. The trouble is the present system is in need of reform if we are going to stop the present situation of the poor and the middle classes subsidizing the areas rich such as Prince Charles, Richard Branson, Douglas Hurd, Duke of Marlborough and Oxford Colleges. We need at least 2 more upper tax bands, it would also help if second home owners paid the full council tax, rather than at present the 50% discount they get at present, add to that the rich col. All these measures could cut council tax increases.
Business News
New stores opened by Co-op and Sainsbury's in Headington in December 2003 New Law Centre Opens.
New venture launched by local entrepreneurs, Headington welcomed its first independent local estate agent Charles Lawson
Consumer News
Credit Union reaches Headington
The OCVA, is developing a city wide credit union for the benefit of everyone living and/or working in Oxford. As you might know, the only Oxford community that can currently benefit from credit union services is Blackbird Leys. We are working closely together with the Blackbird Leys Credit Union Ltd and aim to have established a city wide credit union by 2005. A credit union is a financial co-operative: it is owned and run by its members. Members save with the credit union: from the savings, the credit union forms a pool of money from which it can give out affordable loans to members. The legal maximum interest rate for a credit union loan is 1% on a declining monthly balance! At the end of each year the credit union returns all its profits to its saving members in the form of dividend. For further OCVA details
LOCAL RETAILERS?
It appears you can't have it both ways, but some are trying, after years of moaning that Headington is not getting the investment it richly deserves. Retailers and shoppers are suffering from a touch of development blues. Headington's businesses district is experiencing some the highest levels of investment in recent memory, with the construction of new shops, offices and flats. National retailers including the Co-op, Sainsbury's and Peacocks have opened stores recently.
The trouble is trading in a building site tends to be not very good for business, retailers close to the MC Weasel development site next to Blockbusters claim the ongoing building work is harming trade and making it difficult to use a nearby lay by for deliveries. Fergus Doyle, of West of Java, said "They've picked an awful time to do it. It's not helping parking in Headington at the busiest time of year. "They have blocked off the lay by so no one can load or unload. There's lots of mess and disturbance." Matthew Elliott, of The Garden florists, said. Traders and residents fear that that the new residents of the development of a modern shop, commercial office space and four flats will make use of scarce parking space. John Townsend a local resident said "At last something is being done about that eyesore, " Douglas Riach, the agent for developer MC Weasel, said: "We're making much better use of the site. There will always be times when construction causes disruption, but we're keeping it to a minimum."
Notices
New Amateur Dramatic
Group formed in Headington
To present Musicals,
Plays and Entertainment Evenings. If you would like to join contact Julie Francis either by email
telephone on: 07749 942646
Oxford Theatre Club
Welcomes new members, every three months the Club visits theatres in the region including those in Bath, Birmingham, Windsor, Stratford, London, Guildford, Salisbury, Chichester and locally at Sonning and Bagnor.
Coach travel is arranged to venues with three pick up points, two at Oxford Park and Ride and one in Central Oxford.
We usually organize visits to Saturday matinees, but also to midweek matinee and evening performances
Ring Oxford 460383
